A hammock is a sling made of rope, fabric, netting, or the like that is suspended between and attached to two points. Hammocks were originally used in Central and South America, but have advanced with the times, and are now prevalent in today's society. Hammocks are typically designed for one of two different types of users: 1) those designed for leisure users and 2) those designed for outdoor enthusiasts. The hammocks built for the “outdoor enthusiast” combine the use of modern technology including netting, protections from the elements, and lightweight materials. However, even with these modern advances, the current hammocks still leave much to be desired.
A common issue with current hammock designs is the disproportionate pressure placed on the back of a user's knees and shoulders. This non-uniform pressure is a result of the hammock's sling being generally wider towards the middle of the sling and narrower at the attached ends of the sling. Additionally, when suspended, hammocks traditionally bear a general ‘U’ shape, further exacerbating this problem of non-uniform pressure. These characteristics lead to the aforementioned issues with a user's knees and shoulders and contribute to the general discomfort that occurs after using a hammock for an extended period of time.
As noted above, hammocks may be equipped with netting that will shield a user from insects. However, existing hammocks equipped with insect nettings have drawbacks as to the manner of attaching the netting. For example, in the past, insect nettings have been permanently affixed to the periphery of the hammock while maintaining a resealable entrance area. However, a user moving back and forth through the resealable entrance area inevitably places undue strain on the netting, which can cause separation between the hammock and netting. This separation breaks the insect-impermeable shield, defeating the entire purpose of the incorporation of the net. Further, the mere movement of a user within the hammock causes undue strain the attachment means of insect nettings taught by the prior art.
Thus, there is a need for a hammock that generates more-uniform pressure across the body of a user, allowing it to be used comfortably for long periods of time. Further, there is a need for a hammock with an insect netting that allows a user to move or shift their weight while using the hammock without causing undue strain on the netting. Moreover, these goals must all be accomplished without sacrificing the lightweight and durable nature of traditional hammocks. The present invention and its embodiments meets and exceed these objectives.
Review of Related Technology:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,865,757 pertains to a hammock that includes a bed made of a piece of flexible material gathered by folding it at its opposite ends. The hammock is suspended by ropes that are attached to the gathered ends, wherein the ropes are tied to nearby trees. The edges of the bed are drawn apart along a tension axis which is diagonal to the suspension axis, giving the bed the shape of a non-equilateral polygon so that one can lie diagonally across the suspension axis, whereby the back is well supported.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,542 pertains to a portable, suspended outdoor shelter that includes a base panel having a pair of stiffening members secured by a pair of sleeves disposed along opposed longitudinally extending sides of the base panel. A pair of reinforcing web members extend along and reinforce the sleeves while extended substantially beyond those sleeves sot that they may be secured to a pair of spaced apart support structures. A plurality of resilient, linear tubular members are bent in an inverted U configuration and are secured above and between the stiffening members to apply tension laterally to the base panel. End panels extend between the ends of the base panel and the lower portions of their respective reinforcing web member. There exist a window and a door disposed in each end panel. A canopy extends between the upper edges of the end panels, and is supported by the inverted U tubular members. The base, end panels, and canopy define an enclosed shelter which is suspended above the ground between two support structures, securing a user from the elements and ground-dwelling creatures.
U.S. Patent Application 2011/0010849 pertains to a hammock design which provides increased support in its medial portion via a combination of wide bands of fabric situated in a lengthwise X-shaped formation with a curved or bent spreader bar. Preferably, the spreader bar rises from a lower middle part toward higher raised ends. This hammock provides a user with comfortable positioning with nearly horizontal transverse support at the users shoulders and while orienting the user a nearly level position from head to toe.
Various devices are known in the art. However, their structure and means of operation are substantially different from the present disclosure. Such hammocks fail to relieve the pressure placed on muscles and joints. In turn, the other inventions fail to solve all the problems taught by the present disclosure. The present invention and its embodiments provide for a design which enables the hammock to lay substantially flatter, or horizontal, than in the traditional “U” shape of hammocks. At least one embodiment of this invention is presented in the drawings below and will be described in more detail herein.